Olympus E-M10 III versus Panasonic GX8

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8 are two digital cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively,
in August 2017 and July 2015. Both the E-M10 III and the GX8 are mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras that are equipped with a Four Thirds sensor. The Olympus has a resolution of 15.9 megapixel, whereas the Panasonic provides 20.2 MP. Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their size, their sensors, their features, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison: Olympus E-M10 III vs Panasonic GX8

The physical size and weight of the Olympus E-M10 III and the Panasonic GX8 are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter. You can also use the toggle button to switch to a percentage comparison if you prefer that the measures are being expressed in relative terms (in this case, the camera on the left – the E-M10 III – represents 100 percent across all the size and weight measures).

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size,
the Panasonic GX8 is somewhat larger (1 percent) than the Olympus E-M10 III. Moreover, the GX8 is markedly heavier (19 percent) than the E-M10 III. It is noteworthy in this context that the GX8 is splash and dust-proof, while the E-M10 III does not feature any corresponding weather-sealing.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses
that both of these cameras require. In this particular case, both cameras feature the same lens mount, so that they can use the same lenses.
You can find an overview of suitable optics in the Micro Four Thirds Lens Catalog. Mirrorless cameras, such as the two under consideration, have the additional advantage of having a short flange to focal plane distance, which makes it possible to mount many lenses from other systems onto the camera via adapters.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. If you want to switch the focus of the display and review another camera pair, just select a new right or left
comparator from among the camera models in the table. Alternatively, you can also move across to the CAM-parator tool and
choose from the broad selection of possible camera comparisons there.

The price is, of course, an important factor in any camera decision. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The E-M10 III was launched at a markedly lower price (by 46 percent) than the GX8, which puts it into a different market segment. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.

Sensor comparison: Olympus E-M10 III vs Panasonic GX8

The size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant of image quality. A large sensor will tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixel-units in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature a Four Thirds sensor and have a format factor
(sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 2.0. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the review cameras among the medium-sized sensor cameras
that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability. Both cameras feature a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 4:3.

While the two cameras under review share the same sensor size, the GX8 offers a higher
resolution of 20.2 megapixel, compared with 15.9 MP of the E-M10 III.
This megapixel advantage translates into a 13 percent gain in linear resolution.
On the other hand, these sensor specs imply that the GX8 has a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel
(with a pixel pitch of 3.34μm versus 3.76μm for the E-M10 III). Moreover, it should be noted, that the E-M10 III is much more recent (by 2 years and 1 month) than the GX8, and its sensor
will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that further enhance the light gathering capacity of individual pixels. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that the E-M10 III has no anti-alias filter installed, so that it can capture all the detail its sensor resolves.

Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). The following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of comparators.

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but also of capturing video footage. Both cameras under consideration have a sensor with sufficiently fast read-out times for moving pictures, and both provide the same movie specifications (4K/30p).

Feature comparison: Olympus E-M10 III vs Panasonic GX8

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The E-M10 III and the GX8 are similar in the sense that both feature an electronic viewfinder, which is helpful when framing images in bright sunlight.
Moreover, their viewfinders offer an identical resolution of 2360k dots. The adjacent table lists some of the other core features of the Olympus E-M10 III and Panasonic GX8 along with similar information for a selection of comparators. If you need more detail on the specs, you can find comprehensive listings, for example, in the dpreview camera hub.

The reported shutter speed and shutter burst refer to the use of the mechanical shutter. In addition, the GX8 features
an electronic shutter, which makes silent shooting and higher burst speeds possible. However, this mode is less suitable for photographing moving objects (rolling shutter) or
shooting under artificial light sources (flickering).

The E-M10 III is a current model that online retailers, such as amazon, will have in stock.
In contrast, the GX8 has been discontinued (but it can be found pre-owned on eBay). As a replacement in the same line of cameras, the GX8 was succeeded by the Panasonic GX9.

Review summary: Olympus E-M10 III vs Panasonic GX8

So what conclusions can be drawn? Is there a clear favorite between the Olympus E-M10 III and the Panasonic GX8? The listing below highlights the relative strengths of the two models.

Arguments in favor of the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III:

Maximized detail: Lacks an anti-alias filter to exploit the sensor's full resolution potential.

Less heavy: Is lighter (by 77g or 16 percent) and hence easier to carry around.

Easier fill-in: Is equipped with a small onboard flash to brighten deep shadow areas.

More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (46 percent cheaper at launch).

More modern: Reflects 2 years and 1 month of technical progress since the GX8 launch.

Advantages of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8:

More detail: Has more megapixels (20.2 vs 15.9MP), which boosts linear resolution by 13%.

Better moiré control: Has an anti-alias filter to avoid artificial patterns to appear in images.

More flexible LCD: Has swivel screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.

Less disturbing: Has an electronic shutter option for completely silent shooting.

Better sealing: Is splash and dust sealed for shooting in inclement weather conditions.

More heavily discounted: Has been around for much longer (launched in July 2015).

If the count of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a measure, the GX8 emerges as the winner of the match-up (8 : 5 points). However, the relative importance of the various individual camera aspects will vary according to personal preferences and needs, so that you might like to apply corresponding weights to the particular features before making a decision on a new camera.

E-M10 III 05:08 GX8

In any case, while the specs-based evaluation of cameras is instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it says nothing about, for example, the handling, responsiveness, and overall imaging quality of the E-M10 III and the GX8 in practical situations. User reviews, such as those found at amazon, can sometimes inform about these issues, but such feedback is often incomplete, inconsistent, and biased. This is why hands-on reviews by experts are important. The table below summarizes the assessments of some of the best known camera review sites (cameralabs, dpreview, ephotozine, imaging-resource, photographyblog). The full reviews are available by clicking on the site logo in the table header.

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The ratings are only valid when refering to cameras in the same category and of the same age. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price of the camera, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you would like to check on the differences and similarities of other camera models, just use the search menu below. An an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool. If the camera you are interested in is not available, kindly get in touch, and I will try to locate and add the respective data to the application.